The Latest and current project

Doll cradle

This is the most current project I finished.  The plan was free from Wood Magazine and I had a lot of wood that I needed to get rid of. The plan was not the easiest to follow but  it was mostly template work.  I ended making six of these pendulum cradles; one was a guide, three are complete, and two need to have have the bases built.  I was also using several different woods.  Two were mad out of counter top material.  I did not know that oak butcher block material had two sides.  One really good and one really bad.  The counter top was 1.25" thick so I re-sawed the material in half and planed it down to the correct thickness.  My band saw really was a huge help to me in this project.  The back side was used as the pattern cradle.  I was told not to burn it but make it into a planter.  It is at may parents if any one wants to pick it up.  Two are made from alder, at least that is what I think it is.  It was given to me after the passing of my grandmother. It came from a front room shelving unit that my grandfather built.  I made 4 sewing boxes out of it and then I had enough to make two cradles.  This cradle is the one pictured.  The other two are made out of birch plywood.  I don't know what wood the base is going to be.  This will be one toy that I will not be keeping because I have a crib that I made before I was married modeled after the one my grandfather built for my mother when she was a child.

I was able to successfully use my plug cuter to hide the screw holes.  This was the new technique I learned this time around.  A few things came out of this project: First, assembling parts that do not sit flush to a surface is a pain.  This is the reason there are screws in this project.  Second, it was nice to have a test sample to screw up on.  And third, I really need an oscillating drum sander to sand these larger parts.  I have the modification parts to do this on my drill press but the table is just not big enough.  Fun project probably will not do it again.

Last weekend was the wood working show at the Pomona Fairplex.  It has been a couple of years since my dad and I have been because it seems to keep getting smaller and the deals are not there.  I went to look a band saw class.  I realized that: my band saw is not set up correctly, I have the wrong blades, and it do not use the saw with its blades correctly.  I will not go much further it to this.  I did purchase a couple of things.  I got a wider nozzle for my air brush.  Hopefully I do not have to  thin down my finish.  I also purchased a plate glass sharpening kit.  The thought process is glass is flat so lay wet/dry sand paper of varying grits to use a wet stones.  I tried it out on one of my grandfathers hand plane irons.  They were duller than I thought but I got one of them sharpened.  Now I just have to figure out how to use a hand plane.  That will be for another post.  I did learn something.  Wet sand paper will sick to glass with out adhesive and is much easier to peel off.  If you are in the market for a sharpening stone I would recommend a 1/4" piece of tempered glass and various grits of wet/dry sand paper.  I don't know if I recommend  buying this system. Please note that this sand paper is meant to be wet when used.  I have also heard the using a marble or granite tile also works for the flat surface.

This is the project I have been working on for the past couple of years.  It is not complete yet but here is a sneak peek.